30-06-2022, 03:22 PM
They continued their journey towards the lost city. The horses had been restless since the appearance of the wraiths, but calmed down as the sun rose higher in the sky. Still tired, Heather tried to rest by closing her eyes often during the slow ride.
"Mum. Look!"
Jonathan's excited voice woke her up. She looked ahead to see two massive broken stone pillars that looked like they were part of some grand archway with stone walls extending on either side.
"The gates of Swarnavali!" she said, looking at Jonathan who was beaming with joy.
"We made it!" he said, giddy with excitement. She laughed. The sight of the gate and walls lifted her spirits and all her weariness disappeared.
They passed through the gate and followed the road within the city. Everywhere they looked, nature had reclaimed the old broken houses and structures. Overgrown trees, shrubs and vines made it difficult to imagine how the place might've looked in its hey days.
The road slowly wound its way towards the sea. The smell of the salt water and moisture on the air was starting to hit them. As they neared the end of the road, the old temple came into view. The stone walls surrounding the temple perimeter were mostly intact, albeit worn down by the sea winds. They dismounted their horses and tied them to nearby trees.
They entered the temple grounds and saw that the compound was expansive, easily spanning an area of twenty acres. Within the compound were many smaller stone structures which had been almost destroyed and worn down to their foundations. The compound walls on the eastern side were completely gone and Heather saw the sea beyond the rows of trees. The entire ground was covered with sands from the beach.
Most of the temple was gone. The front and sides of the structure were caved in and buried in sand, leaving only the rear of the temple still standing.
"Mum, are you seeing this?" Jonathan said, pointing towards the outer wall of the temple.
"Marvelous!" she said. "Looks even better than the ones we saw at Khajuraho."
The entirety of the outer temple walls was covered with erotic sculptures carved into the stone with exquisite craftsmanship. The sculptures depicted mortals as well as divine beings engaged in various sexual activities. Men and women pleasuring each other, engaged in oral sex and sexual intercourse as per the various positions from Kamasutra. The level of detail in those carvings were still visible in some places, while others had been worn smooth.
The mother and son circled the temple, admiring the architecture and workmanship.
"These old temples never fail to fascinate me. The craftsmanship is always awe-inspiring," Jonathan said.
"Indeed. But there's something strange here. Unlike others, this temple seems to be covered only with sexual imagery like I've never seen till date. As if this temple is solely dedicated to sexual pleasures. Shall we go inside, love?"
He nodded and smiled. Holding hands, they climbed the broken worn-out stone steps, mindful of the slippery sand.
More sexual imagery greeted them within the temple. The interior pillars were covered with sensual carvings. They entered the huge central hall of the deity and approached the statue of a goddess at the center. The statue was made out of white marble and was the centerpiece of the entire temple. The artists had done a wonderful job in making it as life like as possible, bringing out the ethereal beauty of the goddess.
The inscription below the statue read -
Queen Charuvaki. 1467 - 1534. First queen of Tosali.
"First queen? Wouldn't she have been the second?" Heather wondered out aloud.
The interior walls were covered in colorful murals, depicting the history of Tosali. One wall showed paintings of sea trade being carried out with distant lands, merchants readying their ships to sail to the islands beyond the sea and citizens bidding them farewell at the docks. Another wall depicted images of the kingdom being formally setup by King Nrusingha Dev and establishing cordial relations with neighboring kingdoms.
Once again, Heather and Jonathan were in awe of the beautiful artistry bringing those murals to life. Being inside the temple, the murals had survived the destruction and were a sight to behold.
"Mum! Look!" Jonathan caught her hand and pulled her towards another wall. Murals on this wall depicted the life of Queen Charuvaki.
The first mural showed the king and queen in their regal attire. The king was seated on the throne, while the queen stood next to him. An inscription below the painting read -
Queen Charuvaki with her first husband, King Nrusingha Dev.
"Mum. Look!"
Jonathan's excited voice woke her up. She looked ahead to see two massive broken stone pillars that looked like they were part of some grand archway with stone walls extending on either side.
"The gates of Swarnavali!" she said, looking at Jonathan who was beaming with joy.
"We made it!" he said, giddy with excitement. She laughed. The sight of the gate and walls lifted her spirits and all her weariness disappeared.
They passed through the gate and followed the road within the city. Everywhere they looked, nature had reclaimed the old broken houses and structures. Overgrown trees, shrubs and vines made it difficult to imagine how the place might've looked in its hey days.
The road slowly wound its way towards the sea. The smell of the salt water and moisture on the air was starting to hit them. As they neared the end of the road, the old temple came into view. The stone walls surrounding the temple perimeter were mostly intact, albeit worn down by the sea winds. They dismounted their horses and tied them to nearby trees.
They entered the temple grounds and saw that the compound was expansive, easily spanning an area of twenty acres. Within the compound were many smaller stone structures which had been almost destroyed and worn down to their foundations. The compound walls on the eastern side were completely gone and Heather saw the sea beyond the rows of trees. The entire ground was covered with sands from the beach.
Most of the temple was gone. The front and sides of the structure were caved in and buried in sand, leaving only the rear of the temple still standing.
"Mum, are you seeing this?" Jonathan said, pointing towards the outer wall of the temple.
"Marvelous!" she said. "Looks even better than the ones we saw at Khajuraho."
The entirety of the outer temple walls was covered with erotic sculptures carved into the stone with exquisite craftsmanship. The sculptures depicted mortals as well as divine beings engaged in various sexual activities. Men and women pleasuring each other, engaged in oral sex and sexual intercourse as per the various positions from Kamasutra. The level of detail in those carvings were still visible in some places, while others had been worn smooth.
The mother and son circled the temple, admiring the architecture and workmanship.
"These old temples never fail to fascinate me. The craftsmanship is always awe-inspiring," Jonathan said.
"Indeed. But there's something strange here. Unlike others, this temple seems to be covered only with sexual imagery like I've never seen till date. As if this temple is solely dedicated to sexual pleasures. Shall we go inside, love?"
He nodded and smiled. Holding hands, they climbed the broken worn-out stone steps, mindful of the slippery sand.
More sexual imagery greeted them within the temple. The interior pillars were covered with sensual carvings. They entered the huge central hall of the deity and approached the statue of a goddess at the center. The statue was made out of white marble and was the centerpiece of the entire temple. The artists had done a wonderful job in making it as life like as possible, bringing out the ethereal beauty of the goddess.
The inscription below the statue read -
Queen Charuvaki. 1467 - 1534. First queen of Tosali.
"First queen? Wouldn't she have been the second?" Heather wondered out aloud.
The interior walls were covered in colorful murals, depicting the history of Tosali. One wall showed paintings of sea trade being carried out with distant lands, merchants readying their ships to sail to the islands beyond the sea and citizens bidding them farewell at the docks. Another wall depicted images of the kingdom being formally setup by King Nrusingha Dev and establishing cordial relations with neighboring kingdoms.
Once again, Heather and Jonathan were in awe of the beautiful artistry bringing those murals to life. Being inside the temple, the murals had survived the destruction and were a sight to behold.
"Mum! Look!" Jonathan caught her hand and pulled her towards another wall. Murals on this wall depicted the life of Queen Charuvaki.
The first mural showed the king and queen in their regal attire. The king was seated on the throne, while the queen stood next to him. An inscription below the painting read -
Queen Charuvaki with her first husband, King Nrusingha Dev.
जिंदगी की राहों में रंजो गम के मेले हैं.
भीड़ है क़यामत की फिर भी हम अकेले हैं.
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